twister
n. countablen. a powerful, spinning wind that moves across the land in a funnel shape. People often use this word instead of 'tornado' when they are talking casually.
n. a localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land, characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground. Frequently used as a colloquial synonym for 'tornado' in North American English.
The sky turned green just before the twister hit the farm.
Local residents took shelter in their basements as the twister tore through the outskirts of the small town.
While meteorologists classified the event as an EF3 tornado, the local headlines simply warned residents of the deadly twister that had leveled the historic district.
From Middle English twyster, equivalent to twist + -er.